If the past Li Ban had stood before him, Wan Chengming might not have recognized him.
But the name "Li Ban" had left a deep impression on him, one that had only deepened recently.
Although he was merely the tower master of the Mass Grave's Myriad Ancient Pagoda and held the lowest status among the three, he still occasionally interacted with Priests.
From them, he learned of an exceptionally talented Priest newly risen within the Myriad Ancient Pagoda faction.
Hailing from Yu Province, he had unexpectedly become a Spirit Awakening Priest. After luckily being taken in by Priest Zhu Yao, he had advanced to Dark Moon Priest at a speed beyond ordinary imagination.
Rumor had it that several Solar Priests of the Myriad Ancient Pagoda thought highly of him.
Naturally, Wan Chengming had asked around about Li Ban's past.
He marveled that a lowly slave had climbed to such heights.
Du An, who had become a Priest even earlier than Li Ban, had fallen to darkness and become a wanted fugitive throughout the entire Wizard World.
Even his spiritual beast, the Black-Winged Qiongqi, had caught up to him in Tier.
Yet he still couldn't find a single opportunity for advancement.
If this continued, he would either have to accept his fate and die of old age with his Level 6 identity, or find another path.
Finding another path didn't mean jumping ship from the Myriad Ancient Pagoda to the Imperial Dynasty or the Mist Realm; it meant transferring to a Myriad Ancient Pagoda in another location.
The tower master of the Myriad Ancient Pagoda at the Unreturning Place held a Seventh Tier identity, but that ancestor, Qian Jing, was a Solar Priest. As long as she didn't make a fatal mistake, the position wouldn't fall into anyone else's hands.
That left him with only one destination: the Myriad Ancient Pagoda of the Nine Heavens Sea.
The Myriad Ancient Pagoda in the Nine Heavens Sea was highly unique.
Its status was equivalent to the Capital City among the Nine Provinces.
It was also the only place among the three Myriad Ancient Pagodas that possessed a Level 9 identity.
However, while the Imperial Dynasty held seven Level 9 identities, the Nine Heavens Sea's Myriad Ancient Pagoda had only one.
Both the Myriad Ancient Pagoda and the Mist Realm were factions that handled special incidents; they were not pathways for ordinary people to advance to Priest.
If Wan Chengming went to the Nine Heavens Sea, he definitely wouldn't become the tower master, but since it possessed a Level 9 identity, it naturally had Level 7 and Level 8 identities as well.
Wan Chengming asked for nothing else right now; he only sought to advance his identity one step further.
There wasn't a single spirit practitioner who didn't want to reach Level 8.
Moreover, Wan Chengming knew that upon reaching Level 8, there was a very small chance of becoming a Priest.
Once someone became a Priest, their life would truly be transformed.
Just look at Li Ban before him—hadn't he gone from a nobody whose name Wan Chengming hadn't even known, to a superior he now had to treat with the utmost respect?
Wan Chengming felt a surge of complex emotions, but only a single sentence left his mouth. "It is an extreme honor for Priest Ban to visit the Myriad Ancient Pagoda. Do you have any important orders for me?"
Li Ban was only passing through the Myriad Ancient Pagoda and had decided to ask him something on a whim. "I recall Tower Master Wan raised the Black-Winged Qiongqi himself?"
Hearing this, Wan Chengming suspected that Li Ban wanted his Black-Winged Qiongqi.
Though his heart ached at the thought, he knew that if the Priest truly wanted it, he wouldn't be able to keep it. He might as well use the Black-Winged Qiongqi to exchange for a new path forward.
"Yes, Priest Ban. I raised the Black-Winged Qiongqi from a young age. Ordinary beasts are typically born live, but when the Black-Winged Qiongqi descended from its mother, it was enveloped in a layer of eggshell. It could naturally absorb the world's spiritual rhinoceros, which is how it became a spiritual beast."
After speaking, Wan Chengming raised his eyes, waiting for Li Ban to ask for it. He would hand it over immediately, though he would negotiate some conditions.
However, Li Ban's next words exceeded his expectations.
"I acquired a spiritual beast egg while I was out. Whether in places where the spiritual rhinoceros is abundant or sparse, the egg has shown no signs of hatching. Do you have any experience in this area?"
Wan Chengming hadn't expected Li Ban to ask about breeding. He breathed a sigh of relief, yet also felt a pang of regret.
Still, if he handled this matter well, it would count as a merit.
"Reporting to the Priest, for a spiritual beast to hatch naturally requires an opportunity from heaven and earth. If you want to intervene artificially, you can try beast-taming methods to establish a telepathic connection. Supplemented by abundant spiritual rhinoceros, there is a certain chance of success."
"However, spiritual beasts hatched through artificial intervention often lag behind in natural talent. Their future advancement will also frequently require their master's assistance."
"Please wait a moment. I have a copy of Beast Taming Insights here."
Having raised the Black-Winged Qiongqi for so long, Wan Chengming had naturally compiled a set of insights.
Very few people possessed spiritual beasts, so he rarely had the opportunity to discuss them with anyone.
When Wan Chengming offered the manual, Li Ban flipped through it and committed all its contents to memory.
The rest wasn't too important, but the manual contained a method for communicating with spiritual beasts that was quite novel. Li Ban decided to try it out as soon as he returned.
He returned the manual to Wan Chengming. "Thank you."
Seeing Wan Chengming's hesitant demeanor, Li Ban knew the man had a request of his own.
"Does Tower Master Wan have a matter to discuss? I have read your Beast Taming Insights; naturally, I will repay you."
Looking at Li Ban's expression, Wan Chengming knew his insights had been useful, but not as much as he had hoped.
He sighed inwardly, knowing his contribution didn't match what he wanted to ask for. He had no choice but to scale down his request once more.
He cupped his hands and bowed deeply.
"Priest, I have been trapped in the 6th Tier for a long time. I have the desire to advance, but I have never found a path. I wonder if you might be willing to point me in the right direction?"
Li Ban wasn't surprised.
Wan Chengming was already the master of a faction, and his strength was at the very peak of Yu Province. The Myriad Ancient Pagoda didn't need to station a higher-level identity here.
Most people would be satisfied upon reaching this step.
But Wan Chengming clearly wasn't a man easily satisfied.
Li Ban stood up and walked to the window.
Wan Chengming hastily and cautiously followed behind him.
Through the window, Li Ban could see the overlapping mountain peaks in the distance and the rushing waters of the River of Forgetfulness nearby.
"The end of the River of Forgetfulness is the Mass Grave. I heard there is a dry well beneath the Mass Grave."
"That is correct," Wan Chengming hastily agreed.
"I have yet to see this dry well. Would Tower Master Wan be willing to lead the way so I might take a look?"
"Of course. No problem at all."
"In which direction?"
Wan Chengming pointed. "It is at the very bottom of the canyon at the southeastern edge, deep within the mountains. A Priest is stationed there to stand guard."
Li Ban rested his hand on Wan Chengming's arm.
The man was far too tall; reaching for his shoulder would have been a bit tiring.
Wan Chengming's heart leaped into his throat. He knew he was about to witness a Priest's extraordinary arts once again.
Sure enough, in the next second, the two of them vanished from the Myriad Ancient Pagoda and appeared above the River of Forgetfulness.
Their figures flickered several times until they finally arrived in the deep mountainous region at the end of the River of Forgetfulness.
Upon arriving, Li Ban sensed a barrier of magical arts nearby.
"This barrier seems permanently anchored here. However, the Unreturning Place is strictly guarded by many spirit practitioners and several Priests. Why is this area so deserted?"
Li Ban led Wan Chengming further ahead, finally catching sight of the dry well at the end of the Mass Grave, deep within the mountain stream.
The dry well sat on high ground, its surroundings piled high with gleaming white bones.